The Constant
by CDrake
Summary: Led by the Force, Rey, Finn, and Poe land on a strange planet filled with danger and find unlikely allies in a quest they don't fully understand. To regain her confidence and move forward as a Jedi, Rey must learn to embrace her past—and her destiny—from one who knows failure better than most.


"So…is there a reason you had me fly us to the scariest place in the galaxy?"

Rey tried her hardest to restrain a roll of her eyes, but couldn't keep in her sigh. "I told you, there's something we need on this planet. The Force has kept pushing me to go here for _weeks_, ever since I first read about this place."

Poe frowned and glanced around at their overgrown surroundings, rocky outcroppings and foliage of red and brown. "Right…so, we're risking death and mutilation on a hunch."

"Couldn't we at least have brought the Wookiee?" Finn asked.

"Who would you trust more to guard the ship on this planet?" Rey asked. "Chewbacca, or the rolling droid with a quarter of his size and a tenth the stopping power?"

He shrugged. "Good point."

Per Rey's idea, they'd left both BB-8 and Chewie on the _Falcon_, the latter for the aforementioned reasons, the former thanks to the planet's extremely uneven terrain—which didn't lend itself to the droid's lateral type of locomotion in the slightest. As it stood, even the trio with legs was having trouble navigating the verticality of this strange world, though being a Jedi (and with years of scrapper experience under her belt), Rey certainly had the easiest go of it. They'd been hiking for a good twenty minutes, making their way down from a plateau where they parked the ship, and it just kept sloping downward.

"So these Jedi texts of yours," Poe said, swiping his EL-16's barrel through some hanging brush, "they give you coordinates for whatever it is you're looking for? Or did we touch down in this hemisphere by accident?"

She frowned and closed her eyes, steps pausing briefly as she stretched out to the Force. "No…no accident. Something _drew_ me here, and it's drawing me on." Rey smiled and glanced back at the sweating pair. "You trust me, right?"

The boys exchanged a glance, Finn the first to respond—quite enthusiastically.

"Of _course_ we do. It's just—" he jumped and swatted at an oversized bug that flew straight at his face, "—this _planet_ that we don't trust."

She faced forward and frowned, her muttered reply too low for them to hear. "Can't really blame you."

Indeed, what little she _had_ read about this planet filled her with anything but ease. Dathomir was a primal, untamed world filled with danger and darkness—she could feel it all around her, just like the cave on Ahch-To. What the Force could be leading her to find, a part of her feared, but layers deeper than that, she just _knew_ this was the path to take. And not in the same way as her plan for confronting Ben. _That_ had been…perhaps wishful thinking would be a bit too generous. Or perhaps it was merely a misunderstanding of what the Force had implied through their interactions. The Dark Side had lost a powerful agent when Kylo Ren killed Snoke, but in so doing, she had helped him gain even more power with which to hunt the Resistance.

On the other hand, her presence gave the survivors an escape route. Her only regret was the price of stalling the First Order long enough to execute it.

As the trio finally reached the bottom of the slope, they approached a fork in the rocky path. One led to an archway with very little light inside, but a direct route toward the tug in her head. The other path led to a sunlit rise around a rocky spire, which seemed to go in the same direction, but much more roundabout. Considering the sweating, exerted state of her companions, she opted for the direct route without a second thought. Stepping through the arch, the air on the other side got considerably thicker, more humid, with the sound of dripping water in the backdrop. They had entered a cave, and a massive one by the way their steps echoed.

Finn slung his blaster and reached for his belt, cracking a glow stick to illuminate their surroundings.

Something they _immediately_ regretted.

The glint of what Rey initially thought was dripping water from stalactites was actually two large, beady eyes—set some thirteen meters off the ground, in a flattened head with rows of jagged teeth dripping with drool. Those jaws widened slowly as the eyes turned to face the source of the light, the trio standing stock-still as the creature hunched over partway to get a better look at them.

Rey reached out with one hand, calling out to the Force and letting it flow into her words as she retreated a step. "Easy there. Take it easy."

Then its eyes narrowed, and the rancor opened its mouth wide as it took a deep breath.

_Rooooaaaaar!_

The foul-smelling breath stank of rotted flesh and death, and hit all three of them in the face. Rey's lips pressed into a thin line, features pinched and blank except for her eyes, which were wide as can be.

Then she shook her head slightly and said, "Nope."

The echoes of her retreating steps were quickly joined by the other two as the rancor roared once more, the ground shaking with its rapidly accelerating steps. Considering the pace and length of its strides, their only saving grace would be the narrow opening of the cave where they'd entered, and any tight corners they could find.

"Follow me!" she shouted above the creature's screams.

"Right!" Poe yelled. "Because _that's_ worked out great so far!"

Immediately upon exiting the cave, she turned sharply left, toward the roundabout path up the mountain—which was considerably narrower than the walkway coming in. The trio booked it at top speed, which was nothing compared to the rancor's charge. Still, as she'd expected, it slowed down and hunched over to clear the opening, turning toward the retreating party right as they reached the narrowest part of the path. It let out one last frustrated roar as they rounded the corner, apparently upset at losing its dinner. Or perhaps, given its size, an appetizer.

Rey shook off _that_ thought as quickly as possible, and stopped once they reached a natural platform overlooking a swamp far below in the distance to let the others catch their breath.

"I think we lost it," Finn said breathlessly, leaning on his knees.

"Don't jinx it," Poe warned, turning to Rey once he'd recovered a bit himself. "For the record, we needed to bring _artillery_, not blasters."

She silently nodded her agreement, huffing a bit in frustration at how much time would be added to their journey. Almost as a nervous tick, she checked her own blaster pistol, a relic from her short time with Han Solo, and absently slipped her hand into the pack hanging over her shoulder, her fingers brushing over the cool metal of the object inside. Gulping, she nodded toward the path ahead and took a breath.

"We need to keep moving."

Finn shook his head and held his blaster a little tighter. "Rey, you know I support you no matter what, but so help me if this isn't worth it…"

She nodded. "I know. Believe me, I feel the same way."

They saved their words and energy for the climb after that, making their way halfway to the peak, where the path diverged and sloped back down on the other side of the spire.

Poe clambered up onto a boulder, giving himself a panoramic sightline of their surroundings as he pulled a set of macrobinoculars from his pack.

Finn heaved a breath and nodded to him. "What are you lookin' for?"

"A…settlement? Structures? Anything that looks secure enough to take shelter in." He glanced around, waving the binocs. "Considering the wildlife, I doubt we'll be able to take this trip in one go, especially since, you know…" He waved at the horizon and fading sunlight.

Finn's eyes went wide. "Yeah, I _really_ don't want to know what this place looks like at night."

Rey gulped, a shiver of fear passing through her until she shook it off and glanced at Poe. "Find anything?"

Poe frowned in focus as he resumed his search, shaking his head slowly a moment later. "Not from this angle."

"Well, worse comes to worst, we can always find a high perch and call Chewie to come pick us up."

"Yeah, fair enough," he replied, climbing down.

The climb down was much easier than the way up, enjoyable even, until Finn and Rey decided to race to the bottom. She was just a _tad_ more sure-footed, but he had longer legs, so in the end, it balanced out. They reached the bottom almost in lock-step, chuckling and heaving for breath as Poe brought up the rear in a light jog, all three in considerably better spirits since the rancor encounter. Rey fist-bumped Finn as silent congratulations for keeping up as they resumed walking.

Suddenly, Rey froze, eyes wide as the Force yanked her to a halt. She _felt_ it before she heard it: rumbles, the shaking of the mountain itself, coming from the cliffside. Cautiously, she drew her blaster and sidled up to the edge with the others in tow. All three froze at the sight that greeted them: the rancor, easily climbing the rocky crags with its huge talons and gaining on them fast. Rey looked around in a panic, trying to find another tight space to lose it in, but the only narrow pathway was up, and considering how easily it had traversed the side of the mountain, that would only make them an easier target. Their only chance was to run into the jungle and hope the thick trees would slow it down.

Then a massive clawed paw slammed onto the landing, and the rancor's malevolent eyes rose above the edge to glare at them.

They ran without a word, stowing their useless weapons and moving at top speed. It was only a matter of time before it caught up, and they knew it. Rey thought at lightspeed, trying to find some way to slow it down, to buy them time, but her thoughts were interrupted when a sharp cry came from behind, causing her to glance over her shoulder. What she saw sent twofold panic through her: the rancor, not a hundred meters behind them—and Finn, who had tripped over a thick root and was face-first on the ground. The run down the mountain must've tired him out too much to keep his steps precise.

Cursing internally to not waste her breath, Rey whirled around and sprinted for him, the choppy _bdapps_ of Poe's blaster filling the air as he uselessly fired on the rancor. Her arms went around his right as the creature closed to twenty meters, almost within reach. Then she pulled hard, getting him upright and keeping him that way as they ran. The rancor was so close, she could feel its labored breath on her neck. Then the sounds of blaster fire and the creature's heavy breathing gave way to hissing chants that filled the air.

"_Waytha ara quetha way_. _Waytha ara quetha way!_"

It was so sudden, Rey didn't even have time to gasp.

The wind whipped into a howling frenzy, brown-tinged clouds above thickened enough to blot out the sun, and a lance of azure lightning emerged from their depths to strike the rancor in the face. Its deafening roar of pain just about gave Rey an instant migraine, but she ignored the pain to keep running, though the tempest of wind had kicked up a veritable dust storm that reduced visibility to nil.

"Rey! Finn!"

She zeroed in on Poe's voice ahead of them, barely audible in the heart of the storm, and reached out just in time to grab his unarmed wrist. "Keep moving!" she shouted.

"I can't see!" Finn yelled.

"Then close your eyes and trust me! I know where to go!"

_I hope,_ she added mentally.

But she was not wrong. Somewhere in the back of her head, there was a tether in the Force, a line that drew her ever onward and made every step she took solid as the rock beneath them. Distantly, she heard a whisper in that same hissing voice, from everywhere and nowhere—just like Ren's. But this one was distinctly female, and bore no trace of the bitterness that laced his every word.

"_Follow, and you will be safe."_

Closing her eyes, she kept running, half-dragging the other two behind her though she could no longer hear the stomping charge of the rancor above the howling vortex and frequent claps of thunder. They fled until their lungs ached and their legs nearly gave out, just outside the rim of the vortex, which Rey had just noticed was beginning to calm. When it finally dissipated, there was no sign of the rancor, and she heaved a sigh of relief.

"What—the hell—was that?" Poe gasped.

Her head shook rapidly. "I don't know. I heard—"

She turned around sharply when she felt a presence approach from behind, eyes widening at the flickers of green light that steadily coalesced into the form of a woman in red and gray robes. Her eyes, just visible inside the hood that cloaked her face in shadow, were a dark brown similar to Finn's, but wiser and kinder, with the age of decades upon them.

The robed woman cast her gaze over the tense group, seeming unperturbed that Finn was nervously fingering his blaster. Finally, she returned her eyes to Rey, who was staring at her curiously.

"Greetings, travelers," she said in accented Basic, with a small bow. "Welcome to Dathomir." She took a slow step toward them, hands clasped behind her back. "I would question the wisdom of you being here, considering your…inadequate weaponry," she said, waving at their blasters.

Poe snorted a laugh.

Her gaze snapped back to Rey. "If I could not feel what _you_ are."

She stared back for a moment. "You…you're a witch. A witch of Dathomir."

She bowed her head, a lock of gray hair slipping from her hood as her wizened features began to show. "Merrin is my name."

Rey put a hand to her chest. "I'm Rey." She waved at the others. "These are my friends, Finn and Poe."

Finn smiled uneasily, nodding at the unusual woman. "How ya doin'?"

Rey's head shook slowly, turning to face her companions. "I—I'd read about the Dathomiri witches in the texts, but…never thought I'd actually get to _meet_ one." She waved toward the sky. "Did _you_ do that, with the storm?"

Merrin arched a gray eyebrow beneath her hood. "I drove the creature off, yes. Angering a rancor is not a very smart thing to do, Rey." She cast Poe a sharp look. "Nor is shooting at it with such a weak weapon; you are much likelier to anger it than slow it down."

He chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "Eh, well, when you've got a giant monster bearing down on you and little hope of escape, rational thought kinda goes out the window."

She shrugged. "A fair point." Her eyes turned back to Rey. "Why are you here, risking your life and that of your companions so?"

Rey's lips pursed as she thought how to phrase it. "The Force…led me here, I think. There's something on this planet that I need to find, somewhere close."

Merrin hummed and thought for a moment before waving toward the jungle. "Come. I know someone who might be able to help. And whatever you're looking for, you will not want to be out in the open after nightfall."

Finn huffed and got up, following her with gusto. "Amen to that, sister."

From her place walking next to Merrin, Rey saw the old woman smile.

…

Merrin led the trio through more twisting paths through the jungle than they could count, such that if one of them tripped or fell behind, they'd never be able to find their way out. Fortunately, she kept a pace that they could easily follow, though not because of her apparent age, considering she had the same bounce to her step as Rey. As they trekked onward, the terrain steadily became easier, until dirt and roots gave way to flat rock once more. Then, at long last, they reached a clearing, a narrow tunnel through a canyon that allowed them to proceed in single-file. The fading sun cast an orange glow over the rocks and hanging moss, the fire lichens adorning some of the rock walls shining even brighter as a result.

Rey took it all in with wide-eyed fascination, her attention pulled back to the present when the tunnel opened into a widening staircase hewn into the rock. Something about the area at the bottom felt off to her until she got closer, approaching where Merrin had stopped. Right as she got within two meters of the old woman, a feeling like passing through a silk curtain took hold of her, and when she reached the other side, her eyes were opened.

All around, there were huts of stone and straw, pale-skinned children running back and forth between the buildings, some with tattoos similar to Merrin's. Of the adults present, there were both human and Zabrak, chuckling around spits hung over fires or whittling down branches of stout jungle wood. And at the far end, warming his hands at a bonfire, sat an old man with gray hair and a neatly trimmed beard, thick streaks of red running through both. His eyes met Rey's as soon as Poe and Finn stepped through the veil, beckoning them over without a word.

Merrin led the way there, the other villagers giving her passing glances and tipping their heads in reverence. Of everyone present, she was the only one dressed in such ornate robes. The rest, with the exception of the man at the far end, were adorned in simple clothes of hemp and animal leather. Whatever her role in this primitive community, Merrin's presence alone kept the outsiders from being harassed, and as they drew close to the bonfire, the old man rose to greet them. It was only at this distance that Rey noticed the jagged scars across his nose and right cheek, the latter cutting a pale line through his beard.

"Welcome, friends," he said, green eyes shining with warmth. "Rey, Finn, Poe," he added, shaking each of their hands. "Cal Kestis."

The latter two exchanged a glance, Finn asking, "How did you—"

He jerked a thumb at Merrin with a smirk. "My wife told me."

Rey's eyes widened. "The whispers."

He nodded. "One of her many talents." He took her hand and brought it to his lips to kiss it gently.

She smiled and nudged her head against his, pulling her hood back and motioning for the others to sit around the fire. When they had obliged, a pair of Zabrak men emerged from the nearby dwellings, toting steaming pots of some kind of stew.

"Please," Merrin said, "refresh yourselves."

Heaving a sigh of relief after their extremely long day, the trio dug in with gusto, Rey barely holding back groans of delight. While they ate, the old man kept talking.

"Merrin tells me you three have had quite the day."

Finn hurriedly gulped down his current mouthful. "'Fraid that doesn't even scratch the surface."

Cal hummed, fingers interlaced as he tapped his pointers against his lips. "She also told me you were looking for something."

Rey frowned and chewed carefully before answering. "Something important, yes. Perhaps even life-or-death."

"I don't doubt it; there's very little on Dathomir for the casual traveler." Cal's head cocked slightly. "But what led you here, might I ask?"

She exchanged a glance with the other two, Finn shrugging as he took another spoonful. Rey turned back to Cal, frowning. "I have an archive of…ancient Jedi texts, containing information about their origins, techniques, history and such."

"I see."

Rey scooted in a bit. "One of them had an entry on Dathomir, and every time I read the passage, I could feel a…_nudge_ from the Force." She frowned. "But the exact location and its importance have been worn away by time…or perhaps purposely stricken from record."

Cal hummed, leaning on his hands once more. "It would help if you could tell me a little more about this place."

"It's a…tomb of some sort, I think. Built into the side of a mountain."

The old man stiffened visibly, exchanging a look with his wife.

Poe leaned in toward the fire. "You know the place."

Cal nodded slowly, though Merrin was the first to answer.

"It is a place of great darkness," she said. "A place of death, where the very air seems to choke the spirit out of you."

"The Tomb of Kujet," Cal said, caution in his tone as he eyed Rey suspiciously. "It's the only tomb I know of that's anywhere near here. Now what would be in there that you could possibly want?"

She shrugged, confused at his sudden change in demeanor. "I don't know. All I know is that the Force is leading me there, for one reason or another." A frown tugged at her lips as she hugged herself. "I've learned firsthand what happens when I ignore its guidance—and warnings. Not a mistake I intend to repeat."

Cal's eyes softened suddenly, and he nodded as the circle fell silent save for the sounds of eating. "I will take you there," he said after a while, "but only you." He nodded to the other two. "Your companions may not be able to handle the trek."

"Hey," Finn interrupted, offended, "we did okay getting _here_."

"Did you?" Merrin asked mockingly, a teasing smile on her lips. "Because as I remember, you nearly got yourselves eaten by a rancor you just _stumbled_ over."

Finn opened his mouth to defend himself, then apparently remembered how him tripping slowed Rey down and almost landed them in the rancor's clutches. He stayed silent after that.

"Yeah, after the day we've had," Poe said, "I'm not in any big hurry to get back out there." He smiled at Rey. "We'll be there with you in spirit, though. Moral support."

She gave him a deadpan look, at which he continued to grin.

"It's decided then," Cal said, dusting off his robes as he stood. "The two huts out at the edge are yours for tonight. You and I will move out at daybreak."

Rey stood and bowed her head. "Thank you."

He tipped his head right back and took Merrin's hand, interlacing their fingers as they returned to their own dwelling. Right as Rey was gathering up her things, a glint of metal caught her attention, and she turned toward the retreating couple. Her jaw dropped as her vision focused just quick enough to catch the telltale cylinder of a lightsaber swinging just underneath the folds of Cal's robes.

…

Dawn came bright and early, same as Rey's days training on Ahch-To, so she was among the most alert when Cal tapped on the door of the hut she'd shared with Finn. The ex-stormtrooper was still passed out on his cot—and drooling—by the time she was ready to leave, and she grinned at his state before heading out, head shaking. After a light breakfast of whatever stew they'd eaten the previous night, Cal and Rey headed out into the jungle, moving steadily downhill. It was a good half hour before either of them spoke save for small talk.

"I know you saw it last night, so go ahead and ask."

Rey nearly flinched at Cal's order, clearing her throat to steady herself. "The lightsaber…is it yours?"

The faintest ghost of a smile tugged at his lips. "Yes…and no."

She stared at him in confusion.

Cal sighed and pulled it from his belt. "For a long time, it was only half a weapon, and something I hid from the rest of the galaxy." He frowned. "Just like what I was…what I _am_."

Rey made a quick calculation of his age in her head, based on what she could see. Her hazel eyes widened a moment later. "You're a—"

"Jedi? Yes. I was only a Padawan during the last days of the Old Republic, when the Purge hit and our own troops were forced to turn against us." Pain filled his green eyes. "My master was cut down by the clones, by our _friends_." He tapped the cylinder in his hands. "The upper half of this saber was his last gift to me." He frowned. "A gift I hid for five years…until I couldn't."

"The Empire found you."

He nodded. "And I went on the run…on a journey that eventually brought me here, to Dathomir." Cal smiled once more. "Where I met Merrin."

Rey bit her lower lip. "And, where I'm guessing you found this…tomb."

Another nod.

"And the lower half?"

Cal held the hilt a little higher into the light. "A friend gave it to me for replacement parts."

Rey fell silent for a while, only speaking up when the uneven jungle turned to flat, rocky terrain. "So what makes this tomb of yours so dangerous?"

A look of grim remembrance entered his eyes. "The first time I was there, it…showed me things. Things about myself that I wasn't ready to face." He looked over at the young Jedi. "Beware your thoughts, Rey. The dark hold of that place has diminished in the years since, but there's no telling what will happen when you step inside."

She nodded. "I've been to such places before, Master Kestis. I'm ready."

"I hope so, for your sake. And please, call me Cal."

…

The approach to Kujet's tomb was a half-collapsed series of stone platforms that required the Force to climb, a task that was easy enough in itself, but quite the chore after a kilometers-long hike. Cal gave Rey one last lingering look before stepping through stone doors that parted at his approach. She followed closely behind him, fighting not to curl up at the oppressiveness of the stale air inside. Merrin had been right on the money about the aura of this place; it reeked of death and darkness, and not to her nose. Perhaps the Force had led her here for another test of her mental fortitude, her commitment to the Light.

As she followed Cal deeper into the tomb, the unease slowly passed as she became acclimated to the darkness all around her, drawn inexorably to the light the old man exuded. He approached another set of doors with some trepidation to his motions. Glancing back at her, Cal raised his hand to the doors and waved over them, using the Force to open the gateway. Rey was right at his heels, half-expecting the doors to slam shut on her as soon as she stepped through. Nothing happened when she passed, and indeed she began to feel lighter as sunlight hit her face through a hole in a decayed wall.

"This part's a bit of a tight squeeze," Cal grunted as he pushed himself into a crevice at the far end of the room.

Rey followed his example and pulled through to the other side a few seconds after he did. Cal took a moment to ensure she was okay, then turned back toward the path forward. The pair proceeded toward a massive, open room with light streaming in from multiple gaps in the structure. A large, circular platform sat in the center of the room, separated from them by a seven-meter gap. Cal took a deep breath and closed his eyes, one hand stretching out as the air vibrated with Force power. From far below, massive stone obelisks with flat tops rose to fill the gap between, creating a makeshift bridge that he crossed with ease.

A little uneasy, Rey followed behind him with ginger steps, releasing a sigh of relief once she reached the platform proper. Cal let the blocks fall, but didn't face forward again, instead opting to stay focused on her.

She eyed him uncertainly. "Where to now?"

He clasped his hands behind his back. "You tell me."

Rey's lips pursed as she closed her eyes, reaching out to the Force with every passing breath. The oppressive air of the place combined with the darkness deep therein to battle her focus, break her concentration. Her jaw tightened as she focused harder, using Luke's teachings to clear her mind of distractions until only the tether remained. Then, everything was still, and she turned this way and that, eyes closed, until at last she stopped and opened her eyes.

In front of her stood Cal Kestis, a quizzical look on his face, but little else that stood out.

Rey huffed in frustration. "I don't understand."

"The Force is rarely direct in its guidance," he said with a reassuring smile. "Give it a second. Be patient."

She took a deep breath, trying to follow his advice and regain the connection. But again, it led only to Kestis. Rey took off her pack and threw it down, pacing the length of the platform.

"None of this makes any sense," she said. "I came here, I followed its lead, but now the trail is cold." Rey stopped suddenly, turning to Cal. "Why did you come here in the first place?"

Kestis thought for a moment, eyebrows knitted. "Five years after the Purge, I tried—unsuccessfully—to rebuild the Jedi Order." He waved further into the tomb. "This place held an ancient alien artifact called an Astrium, a…psychic key of sorts, that allows Force-users to perceive things in a different way. Other than that…" his head shook, "I can't imagine there's anything else of value in this place." He turned about, observing the tomb. "Unless…"

Rey frowned. "Unless what?"

Cal froze and looked over his shoulder at her. "Unless the tomb itself was never the point." His green eyes narrowed as he faced her fully. "Tell me, what is it you want?"

"…what?"

"What do you want?" he repeated, stepping toward her.

"I…don't know," she answered, confused.

"Rey, come on. Everyone wants _something_, but you and your friends…something brought you here, some desire. Something critical, life-or-death, you said. What is it you want, right now?" Cal stopped in front of her, frowning. "What is it you _need_?"

"I…"

Rey hesitated, gaze darting along the ground. Her eyes widened suddenly, and she looked at him, then at his lightsaber. Her hand reached into the bag at her hip, and she slowly drew out the severed fragments of her lightsaber.

"I broke it," she said softly. "I've tried to fix it, even found schematics in the Jedi texts that show how, but…it doesn't work."

Cal's eyes widened, a faint sparkle in their green depths as he held out his hands. She gingerly handed over the broken weapon, gasping when Kestis' eyes widened, and all the breath left his lungs as gooseflesh broke over his skin. The old Jedi nearly collapsed as he heaved for breath, eyes darting around as his face twisted in horror and his body trembled with shivers. It was a while before he stabilized, and when his consciousness returned to the present, he fixed Rey with a fierce look.

"Where did you get this weapon?"

She shivered at the harsh edge in his tone. "I-I found it."

"Where?"

"In a—a storage room. In a castle on Takodana." Rey frowned. "What just happened?"

Cal sighed and squeezed his eyes shut briefly. "Something I…didn't expect." He eyed the weapon's fragments like a poisoned viper. "When I touch an object, I can feel the echo of its history with the Force. The emotions tied to it, passed on by the user…or in this case, its victims." His eyes slipped shut once more. "This lightsaber…so much blood spilled…innocent _and_ guilty."

Rey's eyes widened. "But—it belonged to Luke Skywalker. He would _never_—"

"I know. But before him," he handed the fragments back, "it also belonged to Darth Vader."

The blood drained from her face.

Cal's eyes opened, locking onto the faintly glowing kyber crystal just visible in the exposed structure of the weapon. "I met him once, you know, after I found this place. Barely escaped with my life." His head shook slowly. "This is a weapon that's seen great light _and_ darkness." His gaze turned to Rey. "And for some reason, it's chosen_ you_. But…" His head cocked slowly, eyes widening a bit. "Ah…you haven't chosen _it_."

She frowned. "What?"

Cal turned away and shook his head, chuckling. "I understand now."

Rey crossed her arms. "That makes _one_ of us."

Cal looked at her. "You were never meant to find something _in_ the tomb. The tomb is merely a reminder…for _me_."

"Wait…you mean…"

He nodded slowly. "_I'm_ what you're supposed to find."

Rey stared at him blankly until it hit her. "The lightsaber. You know how to fix it."

Another nod. "On my first visit to this tomb, I saw a vision of something I'd been carrying guilt about for half a decade. I couldn't handle it then, the surge of emotion that followed, and in my rage, I broke my lightsaber." He picked up the weapon in question and held it out to her. "My friend Cere gave me her old lightsaber hilt as material to rebuild it, but I had to do more than just patch it up. The original saber belonged to my master, but until then, I'd been carrying it around as a grim reminder of the weight of guilt around my neck." His head shook. "I'd never truly embraced the weapon as a part of me, because it lacked a kyber crystal that had chosen me.

"You, on the other hand, don't have that problem." He nodded to her broken saber. "It's already called to you, hasn't it?"

She stared down at the weapon's crystal. "Yes. The first time I held it, the connection was…so powerful, I didn't know how to handle it." Her lips pursed tightly. "I never wanted to hold it again."

"Then you should count yourself fortunate you only felt a fraction of the echo I did. With my ability _and _that connection…I can't imagine it would've been pleasant." Cal leaned in a bit. "But you need to leave that fear behind now. Accept it, fully, or the lightsaber will never work again."

Rey stared at the fragments, closing her eyes briefly before meeting Cal's gaze. "How?"

Kestis smiled and waved at the ground. "Sit."

She did, matching his cross-legged position.

"Watch what I do," he said, slowly disassembling his lightsaber, then pulling a hydrospanner from a satchel at his belt.

Rey followed his calm, practiced motions easily, seeing at least four locations where she'd been off in her previous attempts at repairing the saber. At long last, the internal wiring and lenses were properly aligned with the crystal, and a plasteel ring was fastened around the middle of the hilt, fusing together the jagged halves. The weapon was whole, but Rey felt something missing.

"Now," Cal said, "close your eyes…and _reach out_."

She met his gaze, and in the way he said it, she knew he didn't mean with his hands.

Rey's eyes slipped shut, a slow breath leaving her lungs before she took another in. Her fingers hovered over the re-forged hilt, a tug in her head drawing her ever closer to a familiar pull. But this was even older than the tether that had drawn her to Dathomir, reminding her of a time before all the tragedy, before she lost Luke and Han, before she knew her destiny as a Jedi. A time when she too was shown a truth she wasn't ready to face and fled from it as Cal did.

"_That lightsaber was Luke's, and his father's before him. And now it calls to _you_."_

"_Reach out,"_ came a voice, but not Cal's…not quite.

So she did, with all of her being, her fears and flaws and failures, her strength and skill and passion. And with every connection, every strand she found reaching back, words flowed into her mind like a soothing whisper.

"_Emotion, yet peace."_

Laughter rang in her ears as she and Finn celebrated their first victory in the _Falcon_, the very start of perhaps the first real friendship they'd both ever known.

"_Ignorance, yet knowledge."_

She felt the sting of the reed as Luke smacked her hand, the sting of her pride when he…_corrected_ her perception of the Force.

"_Passion, yet serenity."_

The surge of adrenaline and fury that filled her blood on the observation deck of the _Supremacy_, as Snoke's Praetorians ambushed her and Ben, and every lesson Luke had ever taught her about the Jedi came flowing back like a calming breeze.

"_Chaos, yet harmony."_

The lightning and whirling tempest of Merrin's Force Storm as she repelled the rancor, saving both sides from a fight neither had really wanted.

"_Death, and yet the Force."_

Pain surged through her chest as she felt them leave once more, saw Han impaled by his own son, sensed Luke fade away, and yet…through it all, peace and purpose. The truest form of love, the greatest act any Jedi—any _person_—can ever make. Because to give one's life in the _service_ of life itself is to join with it.

"_Because there is no death among heroes. Only sacrifice."_

The unfamiliar voice flowed through her head, young and faint, as if coming from a distant past. But the message was clear and ballasted her wounded heart with much-needed reinforcement.

Through it all, the pain and suffering and triumph and bliss…there was the Force. The one constant. The only thing that mattered.

"Now_ you understand…as I did at the last."_

Rey's eyes snapped wide open. _Luke?_

The faint wind through the tomb's cracks was her only answer, and when she looked down at her lightsaber—_her_ lightsaber, she could feel every scuff and nuance of it, down to the last micrometer. She _knew_ this weapon, and it her.

"A lightsaber does not make you a Jedi."

Rey looked to Cal, who sat before her with an intent gaze.

"But you are more complete with it, and it with you. It's a part of you now, a mirror of who you truly are. It is the torch that lights up the darkness...or _embodies_ it." His head tilted down slightly. "So take care to always be true to yourself."

Cal stood slowly, as did Rey, and from the stiffness in her legs, she had to wonder how long they'd been sitting there. He waved toward the exit, raising the obelisks from before, and they walked across together, her mind swirling with questions.

"Master Kestis—Cal, I can sense that you have deep ties to this place, to your family, but…"

Cal eyed her. "Yes?"

Her lips pursed tightly as she twisted the lightsaber nervously. "The Resistance could use an older, more experienced Jedi to—"

He cleared his throat sharply, holding up a hand as his steps ceased. "I'm gonna stop you right there."

Rey met his firm gaze.

"I know…_exactly_ what's going through your head right now. I've been there myself."

"…what?"

Cal tilted his head, smirking. "You think that your age and inexperience make you…unqualified, that you should defer to someone who's been around the block."

Her lips pursed. "I've…made a _lot_ of mistakes."

He chuckled and held her shoulders. "Welcome to _life_, Rey. I've got some good news and bad news. The bad news is, you're gonna make a lot more." He smiled warmly. "The good news…is that the Force always knows what it's doing." He waved at her saber. "That lightsaber passed to you for good reason. Wherever you are, right now, you are there because the Force _wants_ you to be." Cal backed up a step. "And so am I." His eyes glazed over wistfully as he looked deeper into the tomb. "The last time I was here, when I got hold of the Astrium, Merrin told me that no matter how many Force-sensitives I recruited…nothing could bring her people back." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I doubt she had our family in mind when she said that."

"So," Rey said slowly, "I'm fighting the First Order with the Resistance because I'm supposed to be."

"And I'm here restoring the Dathomiri because I'm meant to be." Cal smiled. "My old master told me something before he died. A lesson that I was…slow to learn—and even slower to live by. When the chips are down, your equipment, your body, your skills, your power, even your allies…all of this will fail you. All of it's fleeting, temporary." He straightened up, his voice echoing powerfully in the ancient hallway. "Trust…only…"

"…in the Force," they said together.

Cal smiled and nodded once.

Rey smiled back and clipped her saber to her belt. "Thank you, Cal."

…

It took Finn and Poe fifteen minutes to pack up to leave the village once they returned, mainly because Merrin's children and grandchildren had showered the pair with local treats and devices of their own construction. Poe got a miniature flute the size of his thumb, but blow hard enough and it would project a shrill sound forward that could disorient and shatter eardrums, even through First Order helmets. Finn got a new leather jacket (of unknown animal origin, though based on how tough it felt, he was willing to bet on rancor) that _wasn't_ completely trashed with lightsaber burns. For Rey, Merrin had prepared an old keepsake of hers, from a Jedi she and Cal had known long ago: a hooded robe of pure white linen.

They thanked the family for their hospitality and help, then set out back toward the _Falcon_. The trip was uneventful until they reached the same rancor cave. Rey hesitated in the mouth of it, much to Finn and Poe's alarm. She just stood there and stared into the empty darkness until faint rumbles shook the ground. Rey held up a hand to stop the two behind her from opening fire, her body perfectly calm as another hand drifted down to hold her lightsaber.

Rey could just make out the glint of the creature's beady eyes when her grip around the weapon went firm, and a sapphire blade blazed into existence at her side with a loud ring. The sound alone stopped the rancor in its tracks, and the blue glow cast by the saber showed its features shifting in curiosity as its head tilted this way and that. Her empty hand reached out as her eyes slipped shut. The air between them vibrated faintly, and a calm rumble shuddered through the beast.

Then she opened her eyes, and the rancor chuffed and snorted at the trio, meeting her gaze one last time before returning to its den.

Rey thumbed the saber off and calmly returned it to her belt, then smiled at the dumbstruck pair as she grabbed their arms and led them back up to the ship and their next adventure.

* * *

AN: A companion story to _Heir Apparent_.


End file.
